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When is it normal for blood pressure to increase?

blood pressure during exercise
While your ideal average blood pressure is below 120/80 mm Hg, blood pressure fluctuates throughout the day depending on what you are doing. Every time your blood pressure spikes does not necessarily equal a medical emergency.

Exercise

During exercise your muscles demand more oxygen. To meet this need, the heart must pump with increased force to deliver more oxygenated blood with each contraction. As the heart’s workload increases during exercise, systolic blood pressure increases. Systolic blood pressure is the top blood pressure reading and measures the force against artery walls when the heart pumps. It is normal for systolic blood pressure to range between 160 and 220 during exercise.

The diastolic blood pressure, or the bottom number, typically does not change during exercise. Diastolic pressure measures the force against artery walls in between contractions. If your diastolic blood pressure increases during exercise by more than 20 mm Hg or becomes greater than 100 mm Hg, stop exercising and consult your doctor.
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10 Heart Health Facts and Myths

heart-health-facts

Much of what you think you know about high blood pressure, or hypertension, may be based on outdated information. “You may think, for example, that being diagnosed with prehypertension isn’t a big deal, especially if you’re in your 20s or 30s. You may feel fine. But we’re now learning that even slightly elevated blood pressure over a prolonged time can have serious consequences.

Felicia Stoler, DCN says science is evolving so quickly that it’s sometimes difficult to keep up with what we should and shouldn’t be doing to manage our health. Research on blood pressure is no exception. Here are the ten common myths Stoler hears most frequently.

Myth #1: Blood pressure in the 120/80 range is ideal.

Fact: “Just as over the years, health experts have dropped the acceptable limits with respect to cholesterol and blood sugar, the same is now happening with blood pressure. Experts are re-thinking what’s healthy. Too many people who have blood pressure in the 120/80 range are developing heart disease. What’s more: we’re discovering that young people are at greater risk for developing heart disease later in life than we once thought.

“The CARDIA study, conducted by researchers at multiple locations including Johns Hopkins University, Northwestern University, University of Minnesota and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, followed nearly 2,500 healthy men and women from early adulthood (ages 18 to 30), for 25 years. The results revealed that those whose blood pressure was in the prehypertension range – between 120/80 and 139/89 – while they were still under 30, were more likely to have signs of heart disease when they reached middle age. Specifically, they were at higher risk of developing problems with their heart’s left ventricle.

“Results of the SPRINT study were presented at the American Heart Association annual meeting. In that study, about 9,300 participants were seen regularly for four to eight years by blood pressure management experts. Researchers determined that maintaining blood pressure below the commonly recommended systolic target of 120 significantly reduced rates of cardiovascular disease and lowered the risk of death among adults age 50 and older diagnosed with high blood pressure. As a result of this study, the American Heart Association now suggests that blood pressure of 120/80 is the new lower limit for hypertension.”

Myth #2: You’ll notice symptoms if you have elevated blood pressure.

Fact: “That’s the challenge with high blood pressure as well as high cholesterol. There may not be any noticeable warning signs, or they may seem so insignificant that you just ignore them. That’s why high blood pressure is often called the silent killer. For example, some people with high blood pressure may get headaches but attribute them to stress. Left unmanaged, high blood pressure can affect your overall health. That’s why even eye doctors and dentists will check your blood pressure during your appointments.”
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Alternate Foods Rich in Iodine to Replace Table Salt as You Lower Blood Pressure

iodine-salt
One of the first dietary steps you can take to lower blood pressure is to cut back on salt. Salt contains sodium. By decreasing your salt intake, you decrease the level of sodium in your bloodstream allowing your kidneys to more effectively eliminate water resulting in a lower blood pressure.

However, salt is one of our main dietary sources of iodine. Iodine deficiency is not a common problem due to the fact iodine is added to table salt.

If you eliminate table salt from your diet you may need to shift your diet to include other sources of iodine.

What role does iodine play in your health?

Iodine’s main function is to support the development and function of the thyroid gland with hormone production.

Iodine also fights bacteria, promotes healthy breast tissue, supports hair and skin growth, protects against toxic effects of radioactive material, and is involved in energy production and nerve function.

What are iodine deficiency symptoms?

Some deficiency symptoms include:

• Depression
• Dry eyes
• Decreased mental capacity
• Fatigue
• Cold extremities
• Goiter
• Hypothyroidism
• Insomnia
• Weight gain

How much iodine do you need in your diet daily?
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Are the effects of shift work putting your heart at risk?

effects-of-shift-workAccording to the bureau of Labor Statistics, 15 million people work evening shift, night shift, rotating shifts or other schedules outside the traditional 9 am to 5 pm work day. These non-traditional hours are called shift work.

Some shift workers include nurses, doctors, firefighters, police officers, flight attendants, pilots, waitresses, and truck drivers.

Shift work had been linked to various health conditions.

Health effects of shift work

Cardiovascular disease: Shift work increases cardiovascular disease on average 40%. The longer you perform shift work, the greater your risk.
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Symptoms of a Heart Attack in Women

chestPainHeart disease is not a ‘man’s disease’.

Heart disease is the number one killer of women. It is more deadly than all forms of cancer combined. One in thirty-one US women die from cancer each year. One in three die from a heart attack annually.

Protect yourself by knowing your risk factors for heart disease, such as obesity, smoking, menstruation has stopped, high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, physical inactivity, and family history of arteriosclerotic heart disease before age 60.

According to Dr. Larry Weinrauch, very few pre-menopausal women have heart attacks, unless they smoke, have diabetes, or are on birth control pills for a long period of time. Smoking seems to be the biggest risk factor.

Heart disease symptoms can be different for women than men, which can lead to misdiagnosis and/or delayed treatment.

Heart attack warning signs for women:
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Do Probiotics Lower Blood Pressure?

probiotics blood pressureProbiotics have been linked to health benefits, such as improved digestion, reduced depression, a stronger immune system, and prevention of urinary tract infections. Researchers are now exploring a possible connection between probiotics and blood pressure.

What are probiotics?

Probiotics are live bacteria and microorganisms that promote proper bodily function, especially within the digestive tract.

The body is full of “good” and “bad” bacteria. Probiotics are often referred to as “good”.

Probiotics are naturally found in the intestines to assist with food digestion, elimination of disease-causing microorganisms, and vitamin production.

Probiotics to lower blood pressure

How the body maintains a stable blood pressure is complex with numerous biological pathways. One pathway involves angiotensin converting enzymes (ACE) responsible for vasoconstriction of blood vessels. ACE inhibitors are blood pressure medications that inhibit the function of ACE. Probiotics have been shown to have similar ACE-inhibitory activity via the production of antihypertensive peptides. (FYI – Peptides are a combination of amino acids. Amino acids are the build blocks for protein.)

Researchers reviewed human studies on the effect of probiotics on blood pressure. Evaluation of nine trials found probiotic consumption to lower systolic blood pressure by 3.56 mm Hg and diastolic blood pressure by 2.39 mm Hg.

Greater blood pressure reduction was seen when multiple versus single species probiotics were consumed and if baseline blood pressure was above 130/85 mm Hg versus less than 130/85 mm Hg. Greater reduction was also seen in individuals who consumed the probiotic for a duration greater than 8 weeks.

This research analysis suggests probiotic consumption may modestly improve blood pressure levels.
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